1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus and a system in a television broadcasting receiver which supports data broadcasting reception for receiving data broadcast contents multiplexing, for example, a character, an image, a speech, a picture and the like and executing display and reproduction.
2. Related Background Art
Data broadcasting is now operated in the ground wave television broadcasting, and is going to be operated also in the satellite digital broadcasting. Such data broadcasting is broadcast from a broadcasting station by superposing data with a broadcasting wave. A receiving terminal fetches the received and accumulated data into a personal computer or an exclusive terminal, and a display is given by a general WWW (world wide web) browser software or an exclusive browser software.
Recently, new services are anticipated by rendering such data broadcasting receivable not only in a personal computer but also in a television receiver. By providing the television receiver itself with a data broadcast receiving function and a browser software, even a user not having a personal computer can easily view the information of the data broadcasting, thereby enjoying a service of displaying information relating to the television program by characters and image.
As an example, a novel news service utilizing the data broadcasting is proposed. In such service, a picture of a news is recorded in advance in an accumulating apparatus of a television receiver, then a data broadcasting image composed of characters and image is presented as “a news item” to the user, and a picture of a news item selected by the user, for example by a remote control, is reproduced. Such service allows the user to observe, at any time, a news program that has been available only at predetermined times, and allows the user to observe the desired news items only. In this manner, novel services that have not existed become available. Reference is to be made, for example, to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-285815 (US AA2002016964).
In case the television receiver is given a receiving function for such data broadcasting, a font of a somewhat larger size is usually employed for improving the legibility of characters. As a result, an amount of character information that can be displayed at a time is naturally reduced. For example, in a news service, only three to five news contents can be displayed at maximum on an image area, and it is difficult to display many news items in summary and with photographs.
It is possible to display the information that cannot be displayed at one time by scrolling or by page switching, but this requires the user to execute an unnecessary operation. Such operation cannot be considered adequate, in consideration of the user who is not accustomed with an operation environment of a personal computer or a video game machine.
Also the convenience to the user can be improved by printing useful contents of the broadcasted picture program or the data broadcasting on a paper for reviewing afterwards. In such case, it is conceivable to connect a video printer to the television receiver and to capture and print an image displayed on the television receiver. However, since a larger font is usually used for increasing the legibility of the characters, the printed characters become inevitably large. In such case, it is not possible to exploit the advantage of paper that generally has a higher character legibility than in a television image.
Data printing of data broadcasting is described in patent references 1 to 7. Also a technology including print data in the data broadcasting is described in patent reference 8.                (Patent reference 1) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-037812 (US AA2002171872)        (Patent reference 2) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-262245 (US AA2002016964)        (Patent reference 3) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-191013        (Patent reference 4) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-190988        (Patent reference 5) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-190784        (Patent reference 6) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-190782        (Patent reference 7) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-158979 (US AA2002060748)        (Patent reference 8) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-234228        
In order to resolve such drawbacks, it is also conceivable to broadcast, together with the data of picture-speech program or the data of data broadcasting, printable data such as more detailed character data and image data as a transport stream (TS) and to use such data for printing with a printer as a peripheral equipment. In such case, following drawbacks are encountered.
Firstly, it is difficult for the user to judge when the printing data are transmitted and until when the data is printable. Secondly, it is difficult for the user to judge the contents of the transmitted printing data. Thirdly, it is difficult for the user to understand the type of the transmitted printing data. Fourthly, it is difficult for the user to estimate the volume of printing. Fifthly, it is difficult for the user to judge whether the printing is charged or not. Sixthly, it is difficult for the user to judge the printing time required by the printer connected to the receiver. Seventhly, it is difficult for the user to judge whether the transmitted data can be accumulated. Eighthly, it is difficult for the user to judge, in case the printing data are related with a picture-speech program or a data broadcasting, the picture-speech program or the data broadcasting to which the printing data are related.
In consideration of the foregoing, the present invention is to provide a data receiving-processing apparatus capable of a list display of contents data that can be outputted to a peripheral equipment. The peripheral equipment may be separated from the television receiver or may be integrally incorporated therein.